Counter



Oct. 23, 1951 DEVANNEY 2,572,015

COUNTER Filed Nov 18, 1950 Bnventor' RAYMOND H DEvA /NEY (Ittorneg:

.ro t q out mo netail ers ne er f dicate d in the appended. claims fi a co1 .1nting movement; and

Patented Oct. 23, 1951 llNl TED ,STAT

: 'ICOUNTER Raymond H. neyanneg ii'erlin, Conn, assignor to cedar-Root Incorporated, Hartford, .Conn., 21.

corp grationof','Connectic v Application November 18, 1950, Serial No. 196,409

This invention relates to a register and more specifically to a counter mechanism whichlmay or low frequencies;

The invention particularly concerns counters wh le. he; countin pera on, is in progress d.

which cannot be overthrownwhen-the mech- 7 :anism is r eset, Included in this object istheaim of providing an impr0ved, sirnplifled andinexpensive-register of thistype. which canbetused as a l n r rp sec lm erher objects will be in part obvious, and in part g he invention a ccordingly consists in the fealm -oi....cons mct n co i a e em n and arrangement of partswhich; will be. exemplisqfled i he const uc ion h ft r s t or and thefscope of the, application of which will bein- In thedravy n s .s

I Fig. 1 is a. front elevational view of a counter,

having driving means constructed in accordance w h his nventi n. s q na he se or. hou in partial section to more cl iarly revealtheoper ins me h is of the. co t ""FiglIZ ls atransverse, vertical, cross-sectional vview ta-lrenasindicated by the line {2 2 .of. Fig. 1 and viewecl in the directionof the arrows; T I Fig.1 3 is a. view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the "elements of the drive mechanism asdisposed is a persnective viewof a U -sha ped arm associated withthe drivemechanism to prevent overthrow of the counter wheel of lowestorder.

'As shown indetail, in theidrawings, the reference numeral II Ilindicates a case orl housing which provides a protective cover for the counter mechanism indicated generallybythe-reference numeral H. The counterm echanism 1 ,l issupported onajrectangular 12 which has'a pair-of. ini tegrally for; es. vertically, arranged endsupportsri The u tscr fr me mem er 11-30mm ,Ia' reset shaft 14. a dri 'e shaft 15 anda transfer oinion shaft l5 in .parallel relation. An-addiutional verticallyarran d frame I] isispaced in- 6'Clai'ms. (crass-131) I) from the righthand end of the base I! to ..provide...an additional journal forthe' transfer -be applied to many installations, whether the I ip'inion shaft [6, operations to be counted-occur at relatively high '4, ,For. he most part the counter mechanism I l is .,.9n ventional, being made up of elements well glgnownin the art, which for the purposes ofithe present description are referred to without particularity A plurality of counter wheels are mounted for rotation about the reset shaft l4 and each-counter wheel is associated with a transfer drivinggear 2i and adriven-gear 2| a. The-driw Ling gearnll of one wheel 20 is interconnected to the. driven gear Zia-of the wheel of next highest order. by rnutilated pinions (not shown) carried by the-transfer pinionshaft I 6. The counter .lwheellq of lowest order is disposed farthest to the right as viewed in Fig. -1 and is intermittently [driven by the drive mechanism tobe described presently.

Theremaining counter wheels are set through amanually operable key 23connected tosthe reset shaft H. Reset-is effected by turning the shaft in the samedirection in which the counter wheels turn during the counting operation. QaThe counter wheels 20 are individually picked up --.by the reset shaft M for rotation therewith so vthat they will be ali ned at reset for a "0"- readingthrough the window 22.

Of course the .,number wheels normally rotate about-the reset -.move with the reset shaft.

. The drive shaft l5 f0r the counter mechanism shaft Lkwhen beingdriven through the previous ly', mentioned driving-gears and driven gears.

During reset the drivingand driven gears do 'not H may be connected in'any suitable'manner-for I rotation by the machine or other device, the operations-of which are to be counted. The shaft 15 is secured against axial movement by means of a thrust bearing 25 secured thereto and which s-abutsoan annular boss 26 on the righthand journal support l3. A multiple cam, indicated generally-by the reference numeral 21, is sup- A collar 28 bycenter portion 3L Cam nlates' 29"and-3B-are imila-rlvz..shaned each having radially "greater and lesser follower engaging-portions which engageucam followers and 36,-- respectively;car-

ried by a ratchet actuating member 31. The plates 29 and 3B are arranged on shaft 5 so that, as the radially greater portion of the plate 29 engages follower 35, the radially lesser portion of plate 30 will engage follower 36, and vice versa.

Ratchet actuating member 31 is shaped like a bell crank having two angular'ly related arms 38 and 39 pivoted on the transfer pinion shaft 6 at the apex of the angle between the arms. Arm 38 is generally horizontally disposed and carries cam roller 35 and arm 39 projects generally vertically downwardly and carries cam roller 36. R0- tation of drive shafts I5 and cam 21 will cause reciprocating clockwise and counterclockwise movement of the actuating member 31 about the transfer shaft |6 by engagement of cam plates 29 and 39 with the rollers 35 and 36. v

A generally U-shaped member 60 is mounted for pivotal movement about the transfer shaft I6 and has'angularly related legs 6| and 62. The

' member 60 is axially spaced from actuating member 31 with its leg 6| substantially parallel to arm 38 and secured thereto at its end by a pin 63. I The operation of the member 60 will be described .in more detail later, but for the present it can be said that the member 60 reciprocates with the ratchet actuating member 31 in response to movements of cam followers 35 and 36.

A ratchet driving pawl 4|), of laminated construction for manufacturing convenience, is piv- 1 otally mounted on the pin 33. An arcuate spring Y i 49 has one end secured to a pin 42 held by the arms 38 and 6| with its other end disposed in a depression 43 in the pawl 49 to bias the pawl in a clockwise'direction about the pin 63. However, clockwise movement of the pawl 49 is limited by the pin 42 so that the pawl is directed generally upwardly. Clockwise rotation of the rocker 31 will cause the pawl 4|l'to engage a tooth of a ratchet wheel which is drivingly connected in the usual manner to the transfer wheel 2|a associated with the counter wheel 20 'of'the lowest order. There is one tooth provided on the ratchet wheel for each digit marked on the lowest order number wheel so that, as each tooth of the ratchet 45 is advanced by the pawl 40, th ere will be a corresponding advance of one digit by the wheel of lowest order. The spring 46, in urging the pawl 40 clockwise, assures positive engagement between the pawl and the ratchet teeth to effect advancing movement of the ratchet wheel 45 during the clockwise movement of the rocker 31. For each reciprocation of the actuating member 31, the ratchet wheel 45 is advanced one step corresponding to an advance of one 'digit by the number wheel 20 of lowest order.

A stop pawl 50 is journaled about the transfer shaft |-6 to engage the ratchet'wheel 45'to pre- 1 vent reverse movement thereof as the drive pawl 40 is-disengaged in a wiping motion. The pawl "50' is biased to engagement with the ratchet wheel -45 by an arcuate spring 5| held at one end by a pin 53 disposed between the actuating member 31 in the pawl 50.

Aspreviously mentioned, the one leg 6| of the the'ratc-het wheel 45'against overthrow of the ..-counter'wheel 20 of f'lOWGSt order.- When the actuating member 31 is driven clockwise to drive the ratchet wheel, the ear 64 of leg 6| will be disposed between successive teeth of the ratchet wheel 45 during engagement of the drive pawl 40. Thus positioned, the ear 64 prevents overrunning of the ratchet wheel and number wheel of lowest order. This position of the elements is indicated in Fig. 3.

The ear 65'on the leg 62 is disposed between two adjacent ratchet teeth when the pawl 40 is not in engagement as shown in Fig. 2. During disengagement of the drive pawl 40, the number wheels 29 can be reset. A reset overthrow will occur when, through inadvertence or otherwise, the counter wheel of lowest order is shifted beyond the desired position by one or more digits .as though being driven through the ratchet wheel. The overthrow of the number wheel of lowest order is accompanied by movement of the ratchet wheel and transfer gear 290.. Such movement is effectively stopped by the positioning of the ear 65.

Thus, it will be seen that there is provided a register having a counting mechanism of simplified construction which incorporates means for preventing overrunningof the counter wheels during driving operation and which prevents overthrow of the mechanism during the resetting operation. The counter mechanism can thus be applied in a wider range of installations and will not be subjected to inaccuracies'at'high speeds. As many changes could be made in'the above construction and many apparently wi'dely'difierintended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying draw- 'ings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be'understood that the language used in the following claims is intended to cover all of the generic and Specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Ifclaim as my invention: 1

1. In a counter of the type having counting means including a number wheel of lowest order, a ratchet wheel associated with the number wheel of lowest order, and means for resetting the counting means, a' ratchet actuating arm mounted for reciprocal movements in a plane substantially normal to the axis of the ratchet wheel, a drive pawl secured to said actuating I and the member 60 and engaging a depression 52 arm engageable with the ratchet wheel and operable during'movement of the actuating arm in one direction to advance the ratchet wheel one step, first's'top means carried by said actuating arm engageable with the ratchet wheel'during movement of the actuating arm in saidone direction to preventadvance of the ratchet wheel by more than one step, and second stop means carried by said actuating arm engageable with 'the ratchet wheel during movement of the actuating arm in the opposite direction to impede advance of the ratchet wheel when the counting means is reset. v v

' '2. 'In a counter of the type having counting means including a number wheel of lowest order, a ratchet wheel associated'with the numberwheel of lowest 'order, and means for resetting the counting means, a ratchet actuating arm mounted for reciprocal movements in a plane substantially normal totheaxis of the ratchet wheel,a drive pawl secured to said actuating arm engageable with the ratchet wheel and operable s 4 during movement of the actuating arm in one direction to advance the ratchet wheel one step, first stop means carried by said actuating arm in spaced relation to said drive pawl and engageable with the ratchet wheel in sequence with said drive pawl during movement of said actuating arm in said one direction to prevent advance of the ratchet wheel by more than one step, and second stop means carried by said actuating arm at the opposite end thereof from said drive pawl and engageable with the ratchet wheel during movement of said actuating arm in the opposite direction to impede advance of the ratchet wheel when the counting means is reset.

3. In a counter of the type having counting means including a number wheel of lowest order, a ratchet wheel associated with the number wheel of lowest order, and means for resetting the counting means, a ratchet actuating arm mounted for reciprocal movements in a plane substantially normal to the axis of the ratchet wheel, a drive pawl secured to said actuating arm engageable with the ratchet wheel and operable during movement of the actuating arm in one direction to advance the ratchet wheel one step, a U-shaped member secured to said actuating arm for reciprocation therewith and having one leg disposed in spaced parallel relation to said actuating arm, said U-shaped member having a second leg angularly related to said first leg, said first leg having an ear engageable with the ratchet wheel diu'ing movement of said actuating arm in said one direction to prevent advance of the ratchet wheel by more than one step, and said second leg having an ear engageable with the ratchet wheel oppositely of said first mentioned ear during movement of the actuating arm in the opposite direction to impede advance of the ratchet wheel when the counting means is reset.

4. In a counter of the type having counting means including a number wheel of lowest order, a ratchet wheel associated with the number wheel of lowest order, and means for resetting the counting means, a ratchet actuating arm mounted for reciprocal movements in a plane substantially normal to the axis of the ratchet wheel,

' a drive pawl secured to said actuating arm engageable with the ratchet wheel and operable during movement of said actuating arm in one direction to advance the ratchet one step, a stop pawl pivotally mounted adjacent the ratchet wheel, spring means carried by said actuating arm urging said stop pawl into engagement with the ratchet wheel to prevent return movements thereof, a U-shaped member secured to said actuating arm for reciprocation therewith, said U-shaped member having one leg disposed in spaced parallel relation to said actuating arm on one side of the ratchet wheel and having an- 6 other leg disposed at an angle to the first leg on the other side of the ratchet wheel, said first leg having an ear engageable with the ratchet wheel during movement of the actuating arm in said one direction to prevent advance of the ratchet wheel by more than one step, and said second leg having an ear engageable with the ratchet wheel during movement of said actuating arm in the opposite direction to impede advance of the ratchet wheel when the counting means is reset.

5. In a counter of the type having counting means including a number wheel of lowest order, a ratchet wheel associated with the number wheel of lowest order, and means for resetting the counting means, a ratchet actuating arm mounted for reciprocal movements in a plane substantially normal to the axis of the ratchet wheel, a drive pawl secured to said actuating arm engageable with the ratchet wheel and operable during movement of said actuating arm in one direction to advance the ratchet wheel one step, and stop means carried by said actuating arm engageable with the ratchet wheel when said drive pawl is disengaged to impede advance of the ratchet wheel when the counting means is reset.

6. In a counter of the type having counting means including a number wheel of lowest order, a ratchet wheel associated with the number wheel of lowest order, and means for resetting the counting means, a drive shaft, cam means mounted on said shaft for rotation therewith, a ratchet actuating arm pivotally mounted adjacent said cam means and engageable therewith for reciprocating movements in a plane substantially normal to the axis of the ratchet wheel, a drive pawl secured to said actuating arm engageable with the ratchet wheel and operable during movement of the actuating arm in one direction to advance the ratchet wheel one step, a U- shaped member secured to said actuating arm for reciprocation therewith and having one leg disposed in spaced parallel relation to said actuating arm, said U-shaped member having a second leg angularly related to said first leg, said first leg having an ear engageable with the ratchet wheel during movement of said actuating arm in said one direction to prevent advance of the ratchet wheel by more than one step, and said second leg having an ear engageable with the ratchet wheel oppositely of said first mentioned car during movement of the actuating arm in the opposite direction to impede advance of the ratchet wheel when the counting means is reset.

RAYMOND H. DEVANNEY.

No references cited. 

